STEPHEN HOLLAND, born in 1941, is an American artist raised in The Bronx of New York City. He is best known for his portraits of athletes and celebrities. Educated at The School of Art and Design, Art Students League, The School of Visual Arts, and Pratt Institute.
During his career, Holland’s art has garnered respect as witnessed by a group of collectors, numerous commissions and accolades he receives in the field of music and sports. In 1991, he was honored at the Sports Art Museum & Archives, where a collection of his paintings and prints reside. An unofficial school of young painters emulate his painterly style of action portraits, he is someone they aspire to be.
Several of Holland's portraits have been accepted into the Smithsonian Catalog of American Portraits, namely his 2008 portrait of Barack Obama. Object number PC992553.
Holland's latest work takes a huge departure to delve into his personal psyche and the experiences of people, places, and events of a surreal world of characters informed by The Bronx sidewalks of his youth. The work is a continuation of his private collection of paintings and drawings done throughout his years of painting commercial and fine art.
Since his departure from oil paints, Holland has found a renewed energy for life and painting and has not looked back.